Can opener or the like



Jan. 23, 1962 G. ClVlTELLI CAN OPENER OR THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1960 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,017,701 CAN @PENER OR THE LIKE Gennaro (Iivitelli, 36 Bradley Ave, Hamden, (Zonn. Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,134- 4- Claims. (Cl. 30-16) This invention relates to a can and bottle opener and similar device, and particularly to a device adapted to pierce the top of a metal can such as a beer can, for example, and which i also usable as a cap-lifting device to remove the crimped cap from a bottle such as ordinarily is used with soft drinks.

In devices of this kind it very often occurs that in piercing the top of a metal can the force is applied upwardly to the piercing tool, and thus the can must be held firmly with the other hand of the operator. Similarly in removing crimped caps from bottles, the force is also applied in an upward direction upon the decapping tool, and thus the bottle must be firmly held in place while the operation is being performed.

I contemplate by the present invention providing a tool which includes a handle portion and an operating tool member pivotally mounted at one end thereof. This tool member may be moved to one position where it is readily employed to pierce the top of a metal can and to another position where it may be employed to remove the crimped cap from a bottle. The tool is so designed so that in either of these operations the force required to pierce the can or open the bottle is applied in a direction to maintain the can or bottle upon the table or other supporting surface rather than in a direction which would tend to lift the can or bottle from such surface.

Moreover, while the tool may be employed for a variety of uses and may, for instance, be provided with a corkscrew, it is so constructed that it may be economically made and will possess sufiicient leverage so that cans may be opened or caps removed without undue eifort on the part of the operator.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved can or bottle opener which may be economioally constructed and which may be employed either for piercing metal cans or for removing the crimped cap from bottles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a can or bottle-opening tool of the character described wherein the force exerted to actuate the tool, whether a can or bottle is being opened, is exerted in a generally downward direction rather than in an upward direction, tending to lift the container from the support upon which it rests.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described which includes a handle portion and an operating member pivotally connected to the handle portion adjacent one end of the latter, the operating portion being pivotally movable to a position wherein it may serve as a tool for puncturing a can or to a position where it may serve as a tool for removing the crimped cap from a bottle.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a can or bottle opener embodying my invention, the device being shown in the position assumed when a can is to be pierced;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but partly in section and showing the tool in use as a cap remover.

To illustrate one embodiment of my invention I have ice shown in the drawing a tool comprising a handle 10 of U-shaped form, this member having sides or legs 11 and 12. The free ends of the legs are joined by a pin 13, and upon this pin is rotatably mounted a sleeve 14.

Secured to this sleeve by being wrapped around it is an operating or tool member, the body portion of which is of substantially U-shap-ed form comprising a bight portion 15 and legs 16 and 17. The bight portion snugly embraces the sleeve 14 and from the leg 16 is struck a fulcrum member 18 designed to engage the lower portion of the rim of a beer can 19, as shown in FIG. 1, when the device is used to pierce the top of the can. From the other leg 17 is struck a member 20 adapted to engage the lower rim of a cap 21 when the latter is being lifted from a bottle 22.

The legs 16 and 17 of the U-shaped body portion converge to approach each other and then are bent outwardly in diverging relation. The leg 16 is bent outwardly to form a cutting member 24 provided with a pointed end to pierce the top 25 of the can 19. The leg 1'7 of the body member of the tool is bent outwardly to diverge from the member 24 and form a flat fulcrum or stop member 27.

A corkscrew 28 may be rotatably mounted upon a pin 29 passed through the leg portions 11 and 12 of the handle, and spacing sleeves 30 and 31 are provided on the pin 29 on each side of the eye 32 of the corkscrew to hold the latter in place. When the parts are in the position of FIG. 1, it will be seen that the stop or fulcrum member 27 will engage the sleeves 30 and 31 and thus limit the pivotal movement of the tool about the pin 13 in a clockwise direction. However, when the tool is being used as a decapping tool, as shown in FIG. 5, the member 27 serves as a fulcrum member for the lifter 2i and rotation of the tool relatively to the handle member in a counterclockwise direction is prevented by the engagement of the cutting member 24 with the sleeves 30 and 31.

Secured to the sleeve 1 is a post 34- upon which is pivotally connected at 35 a shield 36 designed to cover the opening made in the can and prevent the contents of the can from spraying outwardly therethrough. A magnet 37 may be provided in the member 24, as shown more especially in FIGS. 4 and 5, which will tend to maintain the shield 36 in close proximity to the cutting member 24 when the tool is not in use. It is, of course, necessary to have these parts relatively movable for when the handle of the tool is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 10, the shield will remain on the upper surface of the top of the can while the cutting member will project into the can.

When the device is used to pierce a can, as shown in FIG. 1, the fulcrum member 18 will be engaged below the rim of the can and the cutting member 24 engaged with the upper surface of the can top. The handle 10 will then be moved in a counterclockwise direction, the sleeves 30 and 31 engaging the stop member 27, thus moving the cutting member 24 downward to pierce the cover of the can. During movement of the handle in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 all of the parts of the tool will move together except the shield 36 which will remain on the top of the can and cover the opening made by the member 24.

If it is desired to use the tool to remove the crimped cap from a bottle, the operating member is swung about the pin 13 through an angle of substantially 270 degrees or from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 5. The parts will now be in the position shown in the latter figure with the lifting member 20 engaging below the rim of the cap 21 and the fulcrum member 27 lying above the cap. The cutting member 24 will now lie against the sleeves 3i and 31 or the eye 32 of the corkscrew and thus movement of the handle 10 in a clockwise direction will cause all parts of the tool to move together about a point adjacent the end of the fulcrum member 27, thus raising the cap 21 from the bottle. It will be seen that whether the device is used for opening a can or for removing the cap from the bottle, the effort exerted by the operator will be in a generally downward direction and not in a direction tending to lift a can or bottle from its support.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation Within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tool for opening containers, said tool comprising a U-shaped handle portion having spaced legs, a tool portion pivoted to the leg of the handle member adjacent the open end thereof, said tool portion having spaced leg members, the ends of which are bent in diverging relation, one o-f said ends being shaped for use as a cutting tool and the other serving as a stop member to limit rotation of the tool portion in one direction with respect to the handle.

2. A tool for opening containers comprising a handle portion having spaced legs, a sleeve rotatably mounted between said leg adjacent the ends thereof, a tool having a body portion embracing said sleeve and spaced leg portions projecting from the sleeve, the free ends of said leg portions extending outwardly in diverging relation, the end of one of said leg portions having a cutting edge, the end of the other leg portion being substantially flat, and means on said handle portion in position to be engaged by said flat end portion to limit ro- 1! tational movement of the body of the tool in one direction with respect to the handle.

3. A tool for opening containers comprising a handle portion having spaced legs, a sleeve rotatably mounted between said legs adjacent the ends thereof, a tool having a body portion embracing said sleeve and spaced leg portions projecting from the sleeve, the free ends of said leg portions extending outwardly in diverging relation, the end of one of said leg portions having a cutting edge, the end of the other leg portion being substan tially fiat, means on said handle portion in position to be engaged by said flat end portion to limit rotational movement of the body of the tool in one direction with respect to the handle, and a shield member pivoted to the sleeve and extending outwardly over the end of said first leg portion.

4. A tool for opening containers comprising a handle portion having spaced legs, a sleeve rotatably mounted between said legs adjacent the ends thereof, a tool member having a body portion wrapped about said sleeve in snug relation therewith, said tool member having spaced leg portions extending from said sleeve in converging relation and thereafter extending in diverging relation to each other, one of said diverging ends of the leg portions of the tool member having a cutting edge, the other of said diverging ends being a relatively fiat member, means on said handle to be engaged by said latter diverging end to limit rotational movement of the tool member with respect to the handle, and a lug struck from the body portion of said tool member to form a fulcrum to cooperate with said cutting edge.

No references cited.

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